Beautiful Monster
by TheUnluckyFox
Summary: In the distant future, a man called Goku Black terrorizes the planet Earth. With power unmatched even by Trunks, his plans of a perfect utopia creep closer to reality. So, what could the harm be in having a little fun in the meantime? AU, Warning: Eventual Canon x OC, rated M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Beautiful Monster

Chapter One

Alba had long grown accustomed to nightmares. Nearly every night was the same scenario playing out repeatedly, but it never got any easier. No sooner had she opened her hazel eyes, all recollection of the nightmare vanished, leaving only the fear behind.

She sat up with a sigh, rubbing her face to rid her drowsiness. Dimming sunlight peeked through the small cracks in the tattered window blinds, although Alba could not yet determine the time of day. She willed herself out of her makeshift bed, her bare feet hitting the cold wooden floor long worn with age.

Carefully, the young woman made her way to the high window, just barely moving the blinds to see outside.

The image that glared back at her was all too familiar, the broken remains of a once great city visible over the horizon. Sickly green cloud cover choked out nearly all sunlight, leaving a disorienting sense of day or night constantly. There was not a soul to be seen out in the streets, or possibly any of the battered houses around her, which Alba anticipated. It was suicide to wander out in the open; it was suicide to stay indoors as well.

"Doesn't look like he's here," Alba mused, straining her eyes at the sky. There was always a chance, though, always a chance.

Alba then turned her attention to her food stores off to the wall on her left. Consisting of a shelving system built into the wall, she had plenty of room to store any food she could find. With a wince, Alba opened the doors.

Three cans of food, a candy bar, and a half empty bag of chips were all that stood inside. Alba frowned.

"Looks like it's time to go shopping again."

Mentally readying herself, Alba got dressed and exited the place she calls home. It was well hidden, all things considered. The home on the ground layer was destroyed, but the basement remained untouched, which provided the perfect cover. Alba had come across it during one of her raids, and never thought to move anywhere else.

She traveled quickly and silently through the rubble and debris of the neighborhood houses remains, stopping only to check her surroundings. She was deep into the streets of West City before she knew it, the dark, dreary buildings hollowed out and barely standing.

Alba could hardly stand to look at the sorry sight, even after an entire year had passed. Instead, she wound between abandoned vehicles ad slabs of concrete, searching for any sign of food.

The young woman stopped immediately at the sound of hushed voices from somewhere ahead. She strained her ears to pick up the source, eventually pinpointing it inside the building straight ahead. Carefully, Alba made her way toward them.

"Two cans of vegetables, three cans of fruit, a candy bar, and a pack of bandages. Hardly enough to get us through the month," spoke an older man, laces of disappointment in his gruff voice. Peeking into the darkened lobby of what may have formerly once been a bank, Alba could just barely make out four figures sitting around a weak fire.

"Is there really nothing else here?" questioned another to the older man's right.

"We should move on to Satan City, might have better pickings there," suggested the man across from the older one.

"Too dangerous with that madman out there," responded the fourth, regrettably. He continued, "but if there's nothing else, then we may have no choice."

"Pitach is right, once we rest up here, we'd better head out to the next town first thing tomorrow." The older man seemed to be a leader of sorts, which made sense.

"Easier said than done, Alumun. The alien will surely spot a crowd this large," the voice of the third, a woman, remarked. "You've seen the rebel army fight him, guns do nothing!"

"It's better than starving to death, Lenta."

Alba carefully maneuvered deeper into the obliterated lobby, hidden only by large slabs of debris. The fear carried on their hushed conversation, which helped mask any accidental fumbles over bits of plaster. She had to snag at least one can of food, although all of it would be ideal. If there really was no other food in the city, then she would have to gather as much as possible.

She had an idea, but it was risky.

Taking a small piece of concrete into her hand, Alba threw it towards the entrance, the loud clacking sound reverberating through the empty lobby. As expected, the four survivors immediately rose to their feet, weapons drawn.

"What was that?"

"Is it him?" the man called Pitach asked nervously, cocking his shotgun with an audible click.

"Now, now, don't get ahead of yourselves. Could just be the building. Worth checking out, though," the wise words of Alumun offered.

Just as planned, the group cautiously made their way toward the entrance, checking behind every crevasse they could find. In their absence, Alba quickly and quietly snatched all the food she could carry before retreating into the shadows. She hastily stuffed the cans into her bag and began her search for an exit.

It was not long until the confused and angry voices of the survivors filled the stagnant air, making Alba's adrenaline begin to skyrocket. Unable to reach the doorway leading to the back of the bank in time, she crouched low behind the teller's counter, scrunching her nose once hearing four sets of footsteps creeping throughout the lobby.

"Damn thief, where are you hiding…" muttered Pitach from just on the other side of the counter, his voice low yet seething with anger. Alba held her breath at that moment, freezing in place. After a few tense seconds, the scavenger felt relief wash over her at the sound of him moving on.

"Remember to keep your voices down and use your guns _only_ when necessary." Alba recognized the voice of Alumun then, although he sounded far away from her position. She knew this was not good for her, and the only course of action would be to keep moving, but the passing form of Lenta quickly trampled her resolve.

The door stood only a short distance away, beckoning her, teasing her. When its call became too great, Alba gave a few quick looks around before sprinting towards it, quickly alerting the four survivors.

"Over there!" she heard one shout, but she paid it no mind as she bolted through the doorway and into the hidden area behind it. Alba ran and ran, having no direction other than finding any sort of exit.

Eventually she came upon a narrow stairway, the marble floors and walls catching her eye immediately. Without second thought, Alba ran to it, the angered voices of the survivors hot on her tail. Down she went, her path lit only by the dim sunlight peering in through the broken windows. She choked on a breath when her feet suddenly became submerged in warm, murky water.

Alba realized dreadfully that she had been heading for the underground level of the bank, which had been nearly submerged in water. Alba gathered that it was at least chest deep, which made her heart sink lower than the waterlogged floors.

"Oh no…"

There was no other choice than to turn back, unless she dared to trek into the depths of the unknown. Even then, she realized, there was no guarantee that there would be a way out; if the water could not leave, then she surely could not either.

The clicking sounds of guns soon drew her attention upwards, spotting four barrels staring her down. Alba remained frozen in her spot, slowly lifting her hands in surrender. She heard one of them chuckle, but she could not find it in herself to be upset.

"So, you're the crafty little thief who's unfortunate enough to run into us," Pitach remarked with a grin. Alba only stared back, pretending to not know what he was talking about. Apparently not liking her response, the brutish man grunted before continuing. "Come up the stairs, slowly. Don't get any funny ideas."

Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, Alba carefully made her way up the stairs, one foot at a time. The four moved back to make room for her but did not give her much space. She felt their eyes boring into her, which only served to make her heart race even faster.

"Take out what you stole from us and put 'em on the ground," Alumun ordered to her left, earning a curt nod from Alba. The terrified young woman did as she was told, knowing all too well all the many things that could happen to her afterward. After placing the cans on the floor, the one named Lenta quickly snatched them up.

"Now, we're going back to the lobby." With a nod from Alumun, the five of them began heading back to where they were camped out, with Alba in the middle. Her eyes darted from one survivor to the next, trying to gauge their intentions from their expressions alone. To her dismay, all she saw from them were stone faces, their emotions well hidden.

Once they had returned to the lobby, Alba was suddenly shoved to the ground. With no warning, she barely had time to catch herself before her face met the unforgiving marble floor. She whirled her head around to look back at them, all the fear she felt now rising to the surface. They only chuckled, as if knowing an obvious joke that Alba would never get.

"It takes guts to steal from anyone, but judging how smoothly you pulled it off, my guess is that you've done this more than once, right?" Alumun questioned, his hardened eyes never wavering. Alba did not answer, but her silence was all the confirmation he needed. "You're lucky. Firing off a shot here would attract way too much attention, so we have a better punishment in mind."

"Don't," Alba tried, but received a smack to her temple with the butt of a gun in response. She fell back once again, seeing the hungry look in their eyes. She had nowhere to go, nowhere to run.

"If you value your pathetic life, you'd hold still," she heard one of them say. Alba squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable, but no such thing came. She dared to open her eyes after a few seconds, seeing the four survivors' attention trained on something else.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" An unfamiliar voice was heard somewhere to Alba's left, spurring her to sit up and look for herself. A new wave of terror washed over her at the sight.

He appeared to be a man of muscular build, his messy black hair spiking in different directions. He wore a simple outfit, a tight fitting black long sleeve shirt with a gray training _gi_ on top of it, baggy black slacks held up by a red sash around his waist. Completing his attire were bright white boots, a stark contrast to the rest of his outfit.

"It's… It's him!" cried one of the four, shakily aiming his gun at the newcomer. He was quickly stopped by the elder, who gently pushed his gun down. In response, the dark clad man smirked, never moving from his spot.

"Please sir, please have mercy on us," Alumun began, daring to take a step forward. "We're only travelers, we mean no harm."

"What were you doing with the girl? I'm curious of this 'punishment' you spoke of." The color drained from Alumun's face, but he managed to quickly sputter out a reply.

"She stole from us, we were only paying her back for…"

"The alien's not gonna listen! We gotta take him out before he-!" Pitach did not get a chance to finish his thought before he was swiftly blasted in the chest with a sudden burst of light. He fell back into a bloody heap onto the floor, a look of shock plastered eternally on his face.

"Despicable, lowlife scum. He was right, though," began the alien, his suave voice drawing everyone's attention back to him. "I wasn't listening. You see, only I can give out punishments, while you filthy mortals wallow and beg for your lives. Now, do any of you have questions?"

Overcome with fear, the final three survivors fled toward the doors in a desperate bid to escape. The so-called alien only watched, still smirking, waiting for them to believe they've made it. In one simple swing of his hand, the entire entryway was decimated, the explosion swallowing up the fleeing group.

Alba had always seen the explosions and devastation, but always from afar. To see it this close made her blood run ice cold, the mangled remains of those who threatened her only minutes before serving as a bitter reality check.

"Pitiful and weak, these mortals. No matter what, they will always try to weasel out of their fate," said the madman, his expression now gravely serious. Alba slowly get to her feet, her entire body trembling.

His inky black eyes lazily looked her way, his smirk slowly returning to his tanned face. Every instinct she had screamed at Alba to run, but she managed to keep herself rooted in place. Even as he casually made his way over to her, she never moved.

"And now you, the supposed thief, stands before a god. Tell me, girl, what did you steal from them that warranted such a harsh reaction?" He was still grinning, yet his eyes held no mirth in them. Alba stared at her feet under his intense gaze, unable to look upon the immensely powerful being. If she were being honest, she wondered why he simply had not killed her as well, but instead chose to talk to her. What could he have to gain from that, she asked herself.

"Food. I-I took food from them," she answered at last, her heart a pounding drum in her chest. "There's nothing left, so I…"

"I see. Times are tough for you, after all," he said, lifting a hand towards her. Alba flinched but was surprised when she felt his fingers through her pale hair. When her questioning eyes met his, he continued, "what is your name, girl?"

"A-Alba," came her shaky response. He hummed in thought, as if considering something. After some time, he removed his hand from Alba's hair, his expression showing clear amusement.

"A fitting name. But regardless," began the homicidal alien, those intense eyes boring themselves into Alba. She stepped back, finally regaining control of her legs, the anticipation quickly becoming too much to bear. Her adversary was not fazed. "Stealing doesn't help your case, wouldn't you agree?"

"I'm…" Alba almost apologized, but she knew it would mean nothing in the end. The young survivor spotted him suddenly moving into a fighting stance, his face grim. She braced herself for the worst, but nothing could have prepared her for what happened next.

A thundering crash resounded though the bank, kicking up dust and dirt into the air. Alba shielded her eyes with her arms, surprise evident on her face. The alien never moved; only a scowl replaced his previous smug grin.

"Black!" cried a masculine voice from the obliterated entrance, his form hidden in the smoke. As the dust settled, the young man was slowly revealed to them. The one named Black hardly reacted to this new development, while Alba gasped in shock and recognition.

"Trunks…?

* * *

 ***prepares for the flying tomatoes***

 **I'm sort of testing the waters with this story, to see if anyone other than me would be interested in it. XD**

 **I'm always up for receiving some tips and pointers; if you see fit to share some you're more than free to! Otherwise, thanks for stopping by and reading my trash. XD**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The young man named Trunks looked just as surprised as Alba was to see her, his baby blue eyes widened. He recovered quickly, however, his gaze hardening at the man he had called Black.

"Your fight is with me, Black! Get away from her!"

"So, you two know each other, do you?" Black paused chuckle lowly. "Your world gets smaller and smaller every day, doesn't it, Trunks?"

"Enough talk. I won't let you kill anyone else!" Not giving Black a chance to reply, Trunks charged him at full speed. Black caught the fist aimed at him effortlessly, their arms trembling from the force. Amused, Black took off out of the bank with Trunks in tow before tossing him into a skyscraper nearby.

Alba, recovering from her shock, ran out of the building a few minutes later. The fight between the two super powered beings was breathtaking to say the least, the very echoes of their exchanged blows nearly knocking her off her feet.

"This is insane." Staring in complete disbelief, Alba did not notice another form move toward her. When a gloved hand gently clasped her arm, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"It's okay, we're on your side," spoke a woman's voice, her soft dark eyes meeting hers. Calming down a little, Alba turned to face her completely.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Mai, I command the Rebellion," she answered quickly, gently tugging her arm. "We need to get away from here. Trunks will catch up with us later!"

Nodding, Alba ran with Mai and several armed men back to their hideout, which was an underground bunker of sorts. Once inside, Alba could see many people crowded in the main area, lit up by dimming yellow lights. Several pairs of eyes looked their way as they entered, each with expressions that she could not determine.

"Mai!" a pair of voices cried in unison. Two young children came bounding out of the crowd and over to Mai, who smiled warmly and knelt to their level to greet them.

"Haru, Maki. How are you two?" asked the commander, rustling the children's hair affectionately.

"Miss Mai, are you okay? Where's Trunks?" the girl questioned quickly. Mai barely had a chance to form a sentence before the boy piped up with a question of his own.

"Who's this lady?" Alba blinked, soon realizing that he was referring to her. She too lowered herself to her knees, offering a hesitant smile.

"My name's Alba. Trunks and Mai saved me." It was an honest answer, after all. She had no idea what the man called Black was planning as he stood before her, still confused as to why he had not just simply killed her as well.

"Mai is a good person. She and Trunks helps everyone!" the girl, Maki, exclaimed excitedly. Alba could not help but smile at that, finding the child's enthusiasm contagious.

When she looked back at Mai, she saw that she was already standing and did the same. There was an enigmatic air about Mai, the person hidden behind her doe-eyed gaze locked securely away. Even though Alba had only known her for barely an hour, she could easily tell that she was not one to be trifled with.

"Your name is Alba, right?" The one in question nodded hesitantly in response, unsure of what Mai was getting at. "It's good that we found Black just in time, though it was too late for the other four."

"It's fine, they were assholes anyway. I can't thank you and Trunks enough for saving my tail back there."

"I can show you where you'll be staying as I'm sure you could use a rest." Mai led the way before Alba could answer, having to jog a bit to catch up. She looked her way with a blank expression as she continued. "You look capable as well. I suppose you must be, to survive so long on your own."

"Yeah, in this world, you gotta be." Mai nodded at that, knowing this all too well.

"In here," she said, stopping in front of a large metal door. Alba watched as the commander pushed it open, revealing a room with several bunk beds inside. At the moment, there were only three people occupying some of the worn-out mattresses, but Alba was certain that it would not stay this quiet for long.

"Can I just take any one?"

"Yes. These beds aren't for anyone specifically, just for those who are tired." Alba was not used to sleeping so close to others but going home did not seem like a viable option now. She thanked Mai and stepped inside, feeling like a new student in high school as the few people resting looked over at her. She ultimately ignored them as she went over to the bunk bed closest to the wall and away from everyone else. She just hoped the person that will sleep below her would not make too much noise.

With a yawn, Alba climbed onto the top, pulling back the thin sheet, then flopped down. Despite the amount of discomfort the bed provided, the young woman fell asleep seconds after her head hit the pillow.

. . .

Alba awoke with a soft gasp, unmoving as her eyes quickly scanned the room she was in. After a moment of brief panic, she recalled where she had gone to sleep as well as the day's previous events. She sighed, letting her eyes slide closed once again.

"You mumble in your sleep."

Surprised at the voice, Alba carefully leaned over to see the person below. Trunks appeared to still be sleeping, his eyes closed almost peacefully. He then opened one to look at her before smiling. "Is it a dumb question to ask how you slept?"

"Not at all. I slept pretty well, all things considered."

Trunks sat up then, look a bit worse for wear himself. The healing cut on his lip was distracting enough for her as he spoke again.

"All this time, I've never known you were alive. Where were you staying?" His question did not come as much of a surprise, but Alba took a moment to answer all the same.

"All over. Eventually I settled into this basement home in the suburbs." Alba laid back in the bed again, staring up at the ceiling. She heard Trunks slowly get out of bed, standing tall enough to see her entirely. Alba's hazel eyes sailed over to Trunks' blue ones, managing a small smile of her own. "How's your mom?"

"She's working on making some fuel for the time machine. I'm sure she's tired, but knowing her, she's too busy working to worry about that." At first Alba gave him a quizzical look, but she soon recalled the time machine he was referring to. Ten years prior, he had gone to the past to stop the Android threat. Alba was surprised that the time machine was still around and apparently operational.

It was during this time when she had met Trunks and his mother, Bulma. She had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, struck down by one of the Androids' excruciating energy beams. She remembered searing pain in her abdomen, her vision blurring. She would have been a goner had it not been for Trunks and his mentor Gohan.

They did not have to, but they nursed her back to health. To repay their kindness, Alba stayed at Capsule Corp. to help in any way she could. Once Trunks had gone to the past in Bulma's time machine, Alba had decided to find a place of her own, despite Bulma's protests. She had heard of Trunks' eventual return as well as the destruction of the two Androids that plagued the Earth.

But now, with this new threat, the destruction had become substantial. She was lucky to even be alive; and now here she was, indebted to him once again.

"I'm happy to hear that she's doing well," Alba said happily, smiling as Trunks did. She finally willed herself out of bed and dropped to the floor. Being able to see the young man entirely, she could see the extent of his fight with Black. A split lip, his clothes showing rips and tears, the fresh cuts shining red underneath. "And what about you? Are you hurt?"

"It's nothing I can't handle. I'll be fine."

The two walked out of the bedroom and made their way toward the main area, seemingly where everyone had gathered. Mai was among them, chatting with some of the rebels. She spotted the two and waved them over.

"Good, you're awake. How are you feeling?" Mai's face softened as they approached, her concern for Trunks as clear as the days they long for. Trunks chuckled, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"Much better. I'm alright, Mai," he managed a reply. He tried to fight back the lines of pink that threatened to tint his face as Mai's hand gingerly touched one of his cuts.

"I never saw you return, so I had wondered…"

"Ma'am! We have sightings of Black in the vicinity!" cried one of the soldiers as he ran toward them. A wave of surprise floated through the survivors at this news, instigating a cacophony of chatter and panicked whispers among them. Trunks and Mai's expressions grew grim, all traces of their pleasant conversation now forgotten, while Alba could only express fear at the notion.

"Black…"

"I've got to lead him away," Trunks began, looking to Mai and Alba. There was a look unreadable in his eyes as he watched them, a sense of knowing far beyond his years. "Once I give him the slip, I'm going to Capsule Corp. Mai, Alba, can you meet me at the apartment?"

"Apartment?" Alba inquired, tilting her head.

"I'll lead you there," informed Mai, offering a small smile as comfort. Alba nodded at that, trying to stuff down her quickly rising nervousness. Mai then looked back to Trunks, her determined eyes earning a smile from him. "We'll see you there, Trunks."

"Right. Wish me luck!" He took off toward the entrance of the bunker, and he was gone. Once Trunks was out of sight, Mai turned to Alba, her eyes alight with determination.

"We should go, too. There's no time to lose!"


End file.
